Pickled Camellia Flower Recipe

Did you know that Camellia flowers are edible? Just like the Magnolia flowers you can pickle them too. After sharing a recipe for Pickled Magnolia Petals a few years back, I decided to try substituting them with Camellia flowers instead, as I have an abundance of Camellias growing in my garden, and they worked beautifully.

The pickled petals of both Magnolia and Camellia are always a talking point at my workshops. Their delicate floral flavour and vibrant colour make a beautiful garnish, especially scattered over homemade sushi, rice dishes, salads or cheese boards. I particularly love adding a little fresh ginger to the pickle, which complements the subtle floral notes beautifully.

Camellias are far more useful than many people realise. There are more than 250 species in the genus Camellia, and one of them, Camellia sinensis, gave the world one of its favourite beverages: tea. Every cup of black, green, white, oolong and pu-erh tea comes from this single species. Yes that's right, tea is made from Camellia leaves. The difference lies not in the plant itself, but in how the leaves are harvested and processed.

Most ornamental Camellias grown in gardens are also considered edible. While they don't contain the caffeine of true tea, their petals can be enjoyed fresh in salads, crystallised for desserts, infused into syrups or vinegar, dried for tea blends, or preserved by pickling. In parts of Asia, Camellia seed oil has also been prized for centuries as both a cooking oil and a traditional hair and skincare oil.

How to Pickle Camellia (or Magnolia) Petals

Harvest flowers at their peak, fresh, fully open and free from blemishes or bruising. The petals wilt and brown incredibly quickly, so only pick what you can preserve immediately. Carry them gently in an open basket and avoid crushing them.

Sterilise a clean glass jar and fill it with the petals only.

A handy trick to stop the petals floating is to stack them together, roll them into a loose cylinder, then slide the roll vertically into the jar. This keeps everything neatly packed beneath the pickling liquid.

Cover the petals completely with your chosen pickling brine.

Simple

1 cup vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

Sweet

1 cup vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp salt

Ginger

1 cup vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp salt

1 cm fresh ginger, finely sliced

I found that too much ginger can overpower the delicate floral flavour, so a little goes a long way.

Cardamom

Add a couple of cardamom pods to any of the recipes above for a warm, aromatic twist.

I usually use raw apple cider vinegar because I love its flavour, although rice wine vinegar also works beautifully and allows the floral notes to shine.

Seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid and leave it in a cool, dark cupboard for a few months before opening so the flavours have time to develop. Once opened, store it in the fridge.

One of the things I love most about vinegar preserves is their incredible keeping quality. While most recipes recommend using them within 12 months, well-made vinegar preserves often last much longer.

If you'd like to learn more about edible flowers, my Online Foraging Course includes a dedicated section covering identification, harvesting and ways to use them safely.